Garment processing hanger



Dec. 3, 1968 J. w. A. OFF 3,414,174

GARMENT PROCES S ING HANGER Filed March 2, 1966 FIG. I

INVENTOR JOSEPH W. A. OFF

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,414,174 GARMENT PROCESSING HANGER Joseph W. A. Off, Dallas, Tex., assignor to Haggar Company, Dallas, Tex., a corporation of Texas Filed Mar. 2, 1966, Ser. No. 531,155 8 Claims. (Cl. 223-52) This invention relates to a support for garments during baking operations, and more particularly to a hanger which will assure a garment finish at the point contacted by the hanger which is the same as the finish on the rest of the garment.

Permanent crease garments are widey produced by impregnating fabrics with an uncured resin. Upon completion and pressing of garments cut from such fabrics, the garments are passed through a baking oven to cure the resin and thereby impart permanent or durable creases, folds, or pleats, and to minimize the tendency to wrinkle in other areas.

Because the resin undergoes a basic change in its character during the baking operation, areas of the garments contacted by a hanger often exhibit a detectable difference in the finish from the rest of the garment. At the same time, it is necessary to provide positive support for garments as they pass through a baking zone in order to avoid introduction of unwanted creases or wrinkles or otherwise alter the intended shape or appearance of the garment.

The present invention is directed to an improved support which is particularly adapted for use in baking garments of the nature above described, giving positive support without introducing any material difference in the finish of the areas contacted by the support.

More particularly, in accordance with the present invention, a garment hanger is provided having a thin-walled metallic structure with two parallel opposed side panels. A hinge means extends the length dimension of the panels and supports a pair of plates which substantially correspond in length and width with the side panels. The confronting surfaces of the plates and panels are of raw metal with surfaces corresponding with sand-blast roughened surfaces for contact with a garment clamped therebetween. Resilient means normally serves to bias the plates toward the side panels at the edges thereof opposite the hinges. A hook extends from the structure in direction opposite the direction of the plates. Preferably, for support of pants or the like, the panels and plates are centrally and transversely grooved to a depth corresponding with the increased thickness of a garment adjacent to a seam.

For a more complete understanding of the present invention and for further objects and advantages thereof, reference may now be had to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side view of a hanger embodying the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an end view of the hanger of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 illustrates the hanger supported in a loading unit.

Referring now to the drawings, one embodiment of the hanger includes a central tube of generally rectangular cross section. The tube 10 is formed of a relatively thin sheet metal stock, folded as to form a square bottom 11 with side panels 12 and 13 being broken at points 14, 15,

and 16 to form a spine of flanges 17. The inner surfaces of flanges 17 are in contact with each other.

Butt hinges 18 and 19 are secured to the flanges 17 as by rivets or screws 20. Plates 21 and 22 are secured to the flanges of the hinges 18 and 19, respectively. Bars 23 and 24 are fastened to the outer faces of plates 21 and 22, respectively, and extend beyond the hinges 18 and 19.

Compression springs 25 positioned between the free ends of the bars 23 and 24 serve to urge plates 21 and 22 into contact with the sides 12 and 13 of central tube 10 adjacent to the end 11. A hook 26 is secured at a midpoint along the length of the flanges 17.

As best seen in FIGURE 3, the side plates 12 and 13 of the central tube 10 are indented. More particularly, a transverse groove or indentation 30 is formed in side panel 13. Similarly, panel 12 is provided with the indentation or groove 31. Matching grooves 32 and 33 are formed in plates 21 and 22, respectively.

The hanger thus far described is specifically adapted to support pants or slacks or the like, where longitudinal seams are present in the zone in which the garment must be clamped. The grooves 30-33 are provided to accommodate the increased thickness at the site of the seams.

The central tube 10 and side plates 21 and 22 preferably are formed from perforated half-hard aluminum stock of thickness of about 0.050 inch. Such material provides the requisite strength and at the same time is not so massive as to prevent the necessary heat transfer. While other configurations may be found suitable, perforated aluminum stock, having holes 35 of one-sixteenth inch in diameter located on one-quarter inch centers, has been found to be highly satisfactory. Such perforations aid in heat transfer to the garment.

While the invention has been described in connection with a clamp-hanger which will grasp pants at the cuff and support the same for baking without modifying the finish, it will be understood that different forms of clamping-type hangers may be used on different types and fabrics of garments. In each such case, however, it will be preferred that the heat conductivity of the metal be maintained relatively high and that the thickness of the metal be minimized consistent with strength requirements thereof. The surface thereof contacting the garment is finished in a manner generally to correspond with the roughened finish imposed upon a metallic surface by a sand-blast operation.

In FIGURE 3, the hanger has been shown positioned in a loading clamp 40. The clamp 40 is provided with end plates 41 and 42 supported between the side plates 43 and 44. End plates 41 and 42 have notches 45 and 46 therein. The flanges 17 and one flange on each of hinges 18 and 19 are nested in the notches 45 and 46. A pair of guide rods 47 and 48 extend between the side panels 43 and 44 below the edge of the flanges 17. A transverse actuating bar 49 is 'slidably mounted on guides 47 and 48 and is reciprocated toward and away from the bars 24 by an air-driven piston unit 50. A companion bar to bar 49 (not shown) is mounted on rods 47 and 48 and is movable toward and away from the bars 23 by a second air-driven cylinder (not shown). An air line 51 leads from a supply line 52 to the cylinder 50. Air line 53 leads to the companion cylinder. A valve 54 is placed in the supply line 52 for control of the clamp 40. In use, the hangers are successively placed in the clamp 40. The valve 54 is then actuated to spread the plates 21 and 22. While the hanger is thus opened, the cuffs on a pair of pants are inserted into the opened slots with the seams aligned with the grooves 30-33. The valve 54 is then released so that the hanger will close, clamping the pants in place. After the hanger is thus loaded, it is placed on a conveyor for travel through a baking oven. Following the baking operation, the hanger is returned to the loading station for reuse.

Having described the invention in connection with certain specific embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that further modifications may now suggest themselves to those skilled in the art and it is intended to cover such modifications as, fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A hanger for support of garments in a baking oven, which comprises:

(a) an elongated thin-walled metallic tube having two parallel opposed side panels and having integral structure forming a hinge support zone extending along one edge of said tube,

(b) a pair of hinge means secured to said tube along said support zone,

(0) two inwardly facing plates respectively supported by said hinge means on opposite sides of said tube and extending the length and width of said side panels, the confronting surfaces of said plates and panels being disposed at an angle to said side panels for engagement at the edges thereof opposite said hinges and having sand-blast roughened surfaces for contact with garments inserted therebetween, and

(d) resilient means normally to bias said plates toward said side panels.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which said tube is of generally rectangular cross-sectional shape and said panels and said plates are transversely grooved at midpoints therealong.

3. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which said metallic tube and said plates are formed of thin perforated aluminum stock.

4. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which said tube and said plates are formed of sheet metal corresponding with half-hard aluminum having perforations of about one-sixteenth inch in diameter at about one-quarter inch centers.

5. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which said plates are spaced from said tube at the edges thereof adjacent to said hinge means while in contact with said tube at the edges remote from said hinge means.

6. A hangar for support of garments in a baking oven, which comprises:

(a) an elongated thin-walled metallic structure having two parallel opposed side panels,

(b) hinge means extending substantially the length dimension of said panels at one edge of said structure,

(c) a pair of plates supported on said hinge means and corresponding in length and width with said side panels, the confronting surfaces of said plates and panels being raw metal with sand-blast roughened surfaces for contact with garments inserted therebetween,

(d) resilient means on the side of said hinge means opposite said plates and side panels normally to bias said plates into engagement with said side panels at the edges thereof opposite said hinge means, and

(e) a hook means extending from said structure in direction opposite to the direction of said plates.

7. A system for support of garments to be baked in an oven which comprises:

(a) an elongated thin-walled metallic tube having two parallel opposed side panels and a spine formed by extensions of said panels,

(b) a pair of hinge means extending along said spine,

(c) two inwardlly facing plates respectively supported by said hinge means secured to said spine on opposite sides of said tube and extending the length and width width of said panels, the confronting surfaces of said plates and panels presenting roughened raw metal surfaces for contact with said garments,

(d) at least one bar extending from each of said plates substantially beyond said spine,

(e) resilient means engaging the bars normally to urge said plates into engagement with said side panels at the edges thereof opposite said spine,

(f) support means having a pair of upfacing slots for receiving said spine thereby to position said tube and said plates with the free edges thereof facing away from said support means, and

(g) control means for engaging said bars to move said plates away from said tube to facilitate insertion of garment portions therebetween preliminary to loading in said oven.

8. The combination set forth in claim 6 wherein extensions of said side panels form a spine along one edge of said structure to which hinge means are secured and beyond which said resilient means is positioned.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,793,762 5/1957 Broussard 211ll3 2,777,620 1/1957 Brooke 22391 2,804,246 8/1957 Brooke 223-96 JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner. G. V. LARKIN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A HANGER FOR SUPPORT OF GARMENTS IN A BAKING OVEN, WHICH COMPRISES: (A) AN ELONGATED THIN-WALLED METALLIC TUBE HAVING TWO PARALLEL OPPOSED SIDE PANELS AND HAVING INTEGRAL STRUCTURE FORMING A HINGE SUPPORT ZONE EXTENDING ALONG ONE EDGE OF SAID TUBE, (B) A PAIR OF HINGE MEANS SECURED TO SAID TUBE ALONG SAID SUPPORT ZONE, (C) TWO INWARDLY FACING PLATES RESPECTIVELY SUPPORTED BY SAID HINGE MEANS ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID TUBE AND EXTENDING THE LENGTH AND WIDTH OF SAID SIDE 